The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-12-07
Mamie'S Lesson.
ooh. dear!O
BY MINNIE r. KEN NEi.

Mamie uttered all eAcllillttioii vi
dismay rs she stood on the lower step
of the broad stairway and looked up at
the tall old-fashioned clock which was
ticking solemnly away on the landing,
lust as it had ticked every day OF Ma
mics short life. Ten minutes OF nnee,
and in lust ten minutes more the clock
would strike, and mamma would call :
1T is time for your half-hour's prac-
tice, Mamie"
And she did 50 want to finish the
new dress she was making for Arabel-
la. Of course, it could he finished al
terward, but she wanted to complete 1t
now, and put it on so that her WaXen
ladyship would be all ready for her to
take out for walk. If only that per-
sistent old clock would stop for few
minutes but no, it ticked steadily on,
and while Mamie stood on the stairs II
gained a minute, so now she had only
nine minutes left. Grandpa had Just
been winding the clock, and with
carelessness that was very unusual, ne
had forgotten to lock the door of the
tall case. Mamie's quick eyes spied
that it was ajar, and perhaps 1t was
this that made a sudden temptation
flash into her mind.
Why not push the hand backward,
and gain time to finish Arabella's
dress? Itwould not really be much
harm; for she would have to practice
her half-hour just the same, argued
the tempter; and though Mamie knew
better than to believe that it was no
harm to deceive, she was only too Will
ing to yield.
She ran to the hat-rack and got
grandpa's umbrella, and, going up
stairs, listened, fearful, for a moment,
lest some one should come along the
hall and see what she was doing; then
opening the door Of the clock. she
reached up, and with the handle OF
the umbrella pushed the large hand Of
the clock back twenty minutes.
With a beating heart she hastily
closed the door and returned the UNI
brella to its place. Then she went
back to her doll's dress.
Somehow all the pleasure had van
ished from her task; and when she
found that she had sewed the sleeves
in wrong side up, she put away her
little work-boX without trying to re-
pair the mistake.
The stolen twenty minutes seemed
the longest that Mamie had ever
known, and it was a relief to her
when at last the nine strokes sounded.
She went to the piano without being
reminded, and practiced scales and eX-
ercises with unusual care, trying by
exceptional diligence to make up for
her wrong-doing.
Before the half-hour had elapsed,
mamma came in with smile of ap-
proval.
"You have practiced very faithfully
this morning, Mamie, and now | have
a pleasant surprise for you. Uncle
Herbert sent me word that he will be
on the train that stops at the station
here at quarter past nine, and he wants
to take YOU home to spend the day
with Aunt Bessy; then he will put
YOU on the evening train, and papa
will meet you. Won't that be nice ?
Now you have plenty of time to get
dressed and walk quietly over to the
station before train-time, and L will
excuse you from practicing the other
ten mnutes.n
All Mamie's troublesome thoughts
NduiSuC0 az tiC pioSPSSe VI 'H4S "N@>
pected pleasure, and her face was as
bright as June morning while she
prepared for the little trip. Suddenly
the shrill whistle of the approaching
train made her look up in dismay.
"Oh, I shall be late!" she cried.
Mamma, isn't that the train whist
ling now"
"It sounds like it, but it must be q
special , for it is twenty minutes yet
before the train is due. I just looked
at the clock" answered mamma.
Twenty minutes! Mamie suddenly
remembered how she had stolen that
twenty minutes by pushing back the
hand of the clock. and as she realized
that she had indeed missed the train
and her anticipated pleasure, she
threw herself on the floor in Il passion
of tears.
Her wrong-doing had brought its
own punishment, and it had been a
hard one; for Mamie counted a visit
to Aunt Bessy among her greatest
pleasures.
With her tear-stained face hidden on
mammals shoulder, she confessed the
truth; and no word of reproof was
needed to add to her sorrow.
The little girl had learned the lesson
that every one has to learn sooner or
later,-that sin brings its own punish
ment, though it may not always come
as swiftly as it did to Mamie that
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